15 Central Park West Residence

A collaboration with Robert A.M. Stern Architects, JGA completed the interior design of this apartment and furnished it with 20th Century pieces to accent the owner's collection of art.

Photography by Peter Aaron

Calle Marcus Residence

Palm Springs, CA 2011

The renovation of a 1960's Modern house in Palm Springs. Originally designed by one of Palm Springs' mid-century architects, Hugh Kaptur, the house had been unsympathetically altered over the past decades. JGA stripped it back to the original bones, and rethought the layout of the bathrooms and kitchens for a 21st Century lifestyle.

Photography by Daniel Chavkin

Palm Beach Apartment

North Palm Beach, FL 2006

Collaborated with Robert A.M. Stern Architects

JGA designed the interiors of this 3000 sq ft apartment in North Palm Beach as a fresh, bright weekend getaway for a young family. The apartment consists of a large open great room, a study and three bedrooms.

The interplay of intimate and open spaces provides a clean background for an eclectic mix of artwork, mid-century furnishings and custom furniture. JGA assembled a collection of furniture for the clients by such masters as George Nakashima, Billy Haines, Tommi Parzinger, Edward Wormley, Vladimir Kagan, and Leleu, along with a growing collection of art that includes Warhol, Picasso, Bertoia and Italian glass from the 1930’s to 1970’s. The main living space, including the open kitchen, is anchored by a large sectional sofa, balancing the heft of the kitchen island. The master suite is a serene refuge, with hand-woven fabrics and raw silk wall covering softening the architecture.

The bedrooms are designed to be both functional and fun for teenagers and elegant for overnight guests down for a weekend of golf. The spirit of the apartment reflects that of the clients; sophisticated, youthful and modern.

Photography by Peter Aaron

Pacific Northwest House

Canadian Gulf Islands, 2006

Collaborated with Robert A.M. Stern Architects

JGA designed the interiors for this 12,000 square foot summer house and outbuildings in the Canadian Gulf Islands. The site is a wooded peninsula with magnificent water views on three sides. The clients, a large, active family, wanted a sophisticated yet livable home, able to accommodate their guests and extended family, and the many activities they enjoy.

The interior detailing represents a modern interpretation of the English Arts and Crafts movement. An eclectic mix of antiques and custom pieces, along with the Client’s growing collection of Pacific Northwest art, creates an atmosphere of relaxed elegance. A restrained palette of materials, color and fabric contribute to the modern take on traditional style.

Photography by Peter Aaron

Oakcrest Apartment

Palm Springs, CA 2009

This 2400 square foot condominium, renovated for a young family as a weekend getaway, reflects their youthful lifestyle and desire for bright open spaces with punches of color. The existing space was dark and felt claustrophobic. It was simplified and reconfigured by opening the kitchen to the dining area and living room, creating a large open space flooded with light. Limed oak cabinetry was introduced to integrate the spaces, providing continuity and architectural interest. The master bath and closets were reconfigured to include a dressing room and luxurious bath. All materials, fossilized limestone flooring, limed oak cabinetry, Calacatta Gold marble, German Green limestone, and nickel hardware, are treated in a simple, reductive manner. Along with crisp white walls, they serve as a perfect foil for a growing collection of art and midcentury furniture.

Seating in the living room is upholstered in shades of yellow and green, with accents of pink and red. A mirrored wall reflects and amplifies light, providing a backdrop for a rich rosewood Danish console. Limed oak bookshelves on opposing walls in the den ground the space and create a frame for the large television, minimizing it’s impact. A zebra skin rug, cactus coffee table and sculptural french metal and leather armchair are counterpoints to the large sectional sofa. The space now works for the young clients, sophisticated yet light-hearted and fun.

Photography by Catherine Tighe

Atherton Residence

Lenox House

Lenox, MA 2010

The renovation of a non-descript 1970’s ranch house on a quiet road provided the opportunity to open the house to light and views. The client, a successful businesswoman who travels constantly, expressed the desire for a house that was easy to care for and functioned like a good hotel suite.

A series of small rooms in the 2400 square foot house created a dark, cramped atmosphere. Walls were removed to open the living, dining, den and kitchen to each other, giving an open plan that is bathed with light from three directions. Two of three original bedrooms and a small bath were combined into a master suite with a large dressing room and bathroom. The roof on the bedroom wing was raised to match the existing shed roof over the living room, providing ten foot ceilings in the master bedroom and guest room. Large windows were added to flood these previously dark rooms with light.

Downsizing from a 6000 square foot 19th century country house filled with antiques, the owner wanted to explore a modern aesthetic in her new house. The interiors reflect the client’s desire for a crisp background filled with clear bright color. This project is the subject of a continuing column in House Beautiful.

The Farm House

Banner Elk, NC 2010

Inspired by the historic houses and vernacular resort architecture of the North Carolina mountains, this 6000 square foot summer house reinterprets its local predecessors for a modern lifestyle. Using a combination of local stone and poplar bark shingles for the exterior walls, and rough cut cedar for the roof, the exterior is characterized by simple volumes and a strong roof line. The house is set on the edge of a field, with a steep drop-off at the rear. The dramatic views of the mountains and a desire to minimize the apparent size of the house influenced the plan and massing.

The clients, a retired couple, requested a house that would accommodate their needs for years to come. Using ADA guidelines as a basis, the house is designed to be fully accessible. The master bedroom suite has his and her dressing rooms and baths, each with a shower designed to accommodate a wheelchair, and an adjacent library that can be used as a bedroom in the future. An elevator allows access to the basement gym and three guest rooms on the second floor.

The interiors are characterized by a more formal architectural language than the exterior. Rejecting the prevalent local ‘rustic lodge’ style, the detailing, inspired by Edwardian architecture, uses paneling and custom mouldings to create an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere. The house is based in tradition, reinterpreted for today.

Las Vegas House

Las Vegas, NV 2004

The interior design of a townhouse in Lake Las Vegas is an exercise in restraint. The client requested a calm and soothing environment, to serve as an antidote to his fast paced life. Architectural detailing was simplified and views and light maximized. A limited palette of muted earth tones, combined with the simple forms of furniture, create a soothing environment. Boxy shapes are augmented by more traditional, sculptural pieces, while curtains in a sheer natural linen frame the views. In the master suite, a contemporary canopy bed floats in the middle of the room, providing a retreat for the client. On the lower level, the study is a modern interpretation of a traditional library, with floating shelves and cabinets mounted on the wall behind a desk inspired by Donald Judd. The whole creates a simple, yet comfortable, Zen-like atmosphere that serves as a refuge at the end of the day.

Old Stockbridge Road Residence

Lenox, MA 2013

This was JGA’s second project in Lenox, renovating and completely reconfiguring a 1940’s Cape Cod style house. What was a warren of smaller rooms was blown open, even removing a massive central fireplace and chimney, to create a large living room open to the kitchen and new dining room. The original living room was repurposed as a new master suite, and a dressing room and bath were added. The rear façade was opened to the views and a screened porch added. The exterior was clad in bark siding, and a new metal roof installed. JGA assisted the owner, the founder of a large lifestyle company, with decorating.

Photography by Sean McLaughlin

Desert House

Las Vegas, NV 2003

To give life and personality to a developer’s spec house, JGA developed the interior design with a palette of colorful fabrics and sculptural forms,. The house, in a luxury golf community, was intended as a weekend get-away for a young couple and their daughter. Materials throughout were chosen for durability as well as reinforcing a relaxed and comfortable aesthetic, acknowledging how modern families live today.

Architectural modifications were made to the existing house. Room uses were rethought; a formal dining room became a media room, a guest bedroom became a study. The living room’s awkward narrow layout was turned into an asset. A custom banquette anchors the space and unifies two seating areas, one at the fireplace and a second seating area focused on the view. Overwrought detailing was simplified. An ungainly soffit over the kitchen was reshaped into an elegant curve. The house now flows from one space to another, flooded with light and air.

Strong color was used to bring a light-hearted and fresh sensibility to the house. Bright yellows and oranges in the main living spaces are balanced by dark cabinetry and the midnight blue of the media room. The daughter’s bedroom continues the theme of bright color with a mix of yellows, pinks and red. A change of pace occurs in the master suite, where a more muted palette of dusty blues and earth tones prevails.

Beverly Hills Apartment

Beverly Hills, CA 2008

The interior design for a small pied-a-terre in a 1960’s apartment building in Beverly Hills addressed the issue of how to create an elegant space in a nondescript short term rental. The apartment was to be used for one year, and major structural or cosmetic changes were not allowed. The one bedroom apartment had a large “L” shaped space for living and dining, with an open kitchen. The client requested a space that could be used for work as well as entertaining.

The dark rich tones of the antique Coromandel screen in the living area create a sense of luxury and place, at the same time defining the work space and sitting area. Vintage 20th century pieces combine with a few well chosen antiques and sculpture to foster the rich feel of the space. The bedroom is completely draped in velvet curtains, muffling the city noise and creating a quiet retreat in the city.

Hickey Freeman

New York, NY 2005

JGA designed a complete retail environment for Hickey Freeman in a former bank within the historic 1905 Trinity Building on Wall Street. Working within the confines of the landmark building, the architecture and the interiors of the 4000 sq ft men’s luxury store reflect the strong classic American tradition of Hickey Freeman, the last luxury men’s clothing line to be designed and manufactured in the US. The space is a modern interpretation of traditional elements, using a restrained palette of limestone, limed oak, bronze and glass. The architecture, fixtures, and furnishings all reinforce the concept of luxury as defined by Hickey Freeman.

The long, narrow store is divided into three distinct spaces, each of which defines a unique selling area: Sportswear and Fittings, Tailored Clothing, and Custom Tailoring. The three spaces become progressively more luxurious and enveloping in experience. Custom cabinetry along the walls displays merchandise. Backlit glass block panels mirror the existing windows on the opposing wall, providing a balanced ambient light. Within Custom Tailoring, luxurious fabrics are displayed along the walls, and a seating area, work tables and desks provide space for clients to peruse a range of fabrics, linings and buttons. Handmade rugs and custom bronze fixtures reinforce the luxury of the clothing. The furnishings and fixtures are positioned to direct the flow through the store, and become sculptural elements on their own.

Photography byCatherine Tighe

Bobby Jones

East Canyon Hotel + Spa

Palm Springs, CA 2007

JGA renovated the guest rooms of this boutique hotel in Palm Springs, designing the property to appeal to a stylish and sophisticated customer. The guest rooms were given a warm and luxurious feel that acknowledges its desert location without being clichéd. Warm wall colors, patterned carpet and crisp white bedding are accented with shots of color in the artwork and accessories. In order to meet the client’s budget and project schedule, existing furniture was reused with the addition of a few custom pieces.